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AB 179 – Prohibits employees of long-term care facilities from influencing a resident’s decision to vote or which candidate to vote for. It also requires administrators to notify the resident’s family of when Special Voting Deputies will be conducting in-person absentee voting at the facility.
AB 198 – Prohibits clerks from fixing any errors on absentee ballots. If there is an incomplete certificate envelope, the clerk must mail the ballot back to the voter and post notification of the error on the voter’s MyVote page. It also includes penalties for election fraud committed by election officials.
AB 201 - Requires the Elections Commission to create a standard absentee ballot request form, requires municipalities to post updates on absentee ballots and requires voters to enclose a copy of their ID when applying for absentee ballots. It also addresses absentee ballots by indefinitely confined voters, automatic receipt of absentee ballots, and unsolicited mailings of absentee ballot applications and ballots.
AB 271 – Any municipality that broadcasts their canvassing procedures must treat it as a public record by recording it and retaining it for 22 months.
SB 203 – Prohibits ballot harvesting by limiting the collection event to only one site, staffed by members of the clerk’s office and can only occur during the 14-day early voting period. It limits a person to returning only two ballots on behalf of others, and allows voters to apply and return absentee ballots via for-profit delivery services such as UPS and FedEx.
SB 210 – Provides election observers uniform access of 6 feet throughout all stages of the election process – Election Day, central count and recounts. Observers must wear a name badge but it may not advocate for candidates. Observers may not interfere with voters or hinder election officials.
These bills will now head to the Governor’s desk.
Middle Class Tax Cut
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I mentioned earlier that the state will collect $4.4 billion more than expected by the end of the 2021-23 budget cycle. Republicans plan to pass a $3.4 billion tax cut for our middle class by lowering income and property taxes. By the end of 2023, the average Wisconsin family will save about $1,200 in income and property tax relief. This proposal would eliminate the personal property tax, abolishing one more tax. This is an opportunity to give money back to Wisconsinites, not spend it frivolously.
Worker Shortage Will Continue
The Governor vetoed a bill that would end the additional federal benefits for unemployment recipients. The largest benefit gives recipients an extra $300 per week and this extra money is keeping people at home rather than in the workforce. If you’ve been out to eat lately, you probably noticed the struggle that restaurants are facing, along with many other types of businesses. Apparently, Governor Evers likes to encourage people to stay home while Wisconsin businesses suffer from it.
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Representative Janel Brandtjen
State Capitol, Room 12 West
PO Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Toll-Free (888) 534-0022 or (608) 267-2367
Rep.Brandtjen@legis.wi.gov | |
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